[Cytotoxic changes in cell cultures induced by newly isolated strains of Campylobacter pylori]

Suspensions of primocultures of two strains of Camplyobacter pylori, isolated from bioptic materials collected from patients with nodular hyperplasia of the pyloric antrum and with gastric ulcers were inoculated to 20-hour confluent or almost confluent cell cultures line VERO, McCoy and MA 104 in test tubes and Petri dishes. Both strains of C. pylori adhered markedly to cell lines VERO and McCoy and after 72 hours led to marked morphological changes of the cells. The changes were characterized in VERO cells by the presence of polygonal to star-shaped cells with processes, a reduced cytoplasm and only in the final stages by the formation of circular cells separating from the medium. Some cells were vacuolized. Cells of the McCoy line responded to the infection with C. pylori by a similar morphological picture, changes in the cell periphery were, as compared with the VERO line, more marked in the early stages. Cells of line MA 104 did not respond to infection with C. pylori by any morphological changes, not even after six days. The intensity of morphological changes was more marked in cell cultures line VERO infected with a strain isolated from a patient with a gastric ulcer, as compared with changes caused by a strain of C. pylori isolated from a patient with nodular hyperplasia of the pyloric antrum. The possibility to induce morphological changes of some stable lines supports the idea of the pathogenic action of Campylobacter pylori on the gastric mucosa.